Brother My Brother
by NorthNova
Summary: King Richard has finally returned and reclaimed his throne, but he must face the man who would do anything to take it once again...


The meeting had gone on for hours. From early morning to late afternoon. Endless debates, hundreds of decisions to be made. But yet, there were so many things that had to be changed. The whole country had suffered in the Kings absence. And Richard knew this, all too well. If only he had known it before, then he would have come home sooner. But there was no reason to dwell on the past. He had done what he had thought was best at the time, surely people couldn't blame him for that?

"The important thing is to get people trading again. Stop the taxes and help the people to…" Robin said, but before he could be interrupted by one of the other advisors, Richard stood up.

"I think this meeting has lasted long enough. Let's retire and reconvene tomorrow." he said, trying to hide how tired he was. The advisors bowed and left the room, except Robin who stayed. Richard walked to the window behind the chair and looked out. He took a deep sigh and looked at the streets of London. Flags had been raised around the castle and people were holding a celebration in his honour. He moved uncomfortably and leaned his hand against the window.

"The people are happy, Your Majesty." Robin said behind him. Robin walked up beside his king and looked out the window as well.

"A tyrant has been replaced. Can they be otherwise?" Richard said. "No matter who has taken the throne in his place."

"Do not doubt yourself." Robin said as a word of comfort. "The people know that you are the rightful king, and that you will think more about them than your brother did."

"Oh, John! Why couldn't I see he would do this?" Richard said angrily, his voice hoarse after hours of endless debate and talking.

"You once said that in your childhood, you could trust him. Perhaps you still hope that you can?" Robin said softly. Richard sighed. Did he? Did he hope he could trust John? Yes, that might be so. No, it might not be so. He _did _want to be able to trust John. But it seemed that he could not.

"You are tired, Your Majesty. You should rest." Robin said and left the room. Soon after Richard also left the room and walked down the corridors to his own chambers. As he passed people on the way he tried to smile and accept their grateful smiled and blessings. But he was so tired, that he hardly noticed.

As he reached his room, he slowly opened the door and locked it behind him. He stood for a moment, looking around the room. He removed his sword from his side and hang it on the wall by the door. Then he walked to the bed and lay down. He closed his eyes and wanted to sleep. But he couldn't. Something troubled him. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. The window had been covered, so the room was dark and the fired burned brightly in the fireplace. He sat up and walked to the fireplace where he placed his hands on the mantelpiece. He looked into the fire and felt the warmth against his face. The flames danced in front of him, making strange figures.

"_Come out, come out, wherever you are!_"

"_You can't find me!_"

Richard shook his head. You should get some sleep. The lack of rest is tricking your mind, he thought to himself. He rubbed his eyes and walked back to bed. Then he walked to a cupboard. At the bottom of it, hiding away in the corner, was a small box. He took it and walked back to the bed where he sat down. He opened it and looked at the content. There was a small stone, which he long ago had found at the beach. There was also a blue ribbon from a childhood sweetheart. She was now married to an Irish nobleman. He took up a small ring with their family emblem, given to him by his father on his deathbed. There was also a small painting of his mother, something he had never had the heart to get rid of. There was also a small piece of paper, carefully folded. He took it up and opened it. He smiled sadly as he read it. He had read those words so many times, and they now made him feel uneasy. He lowered the letter, deep in thought. He sat silently for a moment. Then he put the box on the bed and, still with the letter in his hand, left the room. He walked down the corridor and down to the floor below.

"Your Majesty, I must speak with you." a voice called impatiently, but Richard ignored it. He continued down the corridor until he reached a large, heavy door. Two guards stood watch by it and opened it as the king approached. Richard walked through the door and down the steps towards the dungeon. His steps echoed as he walked down the steps. He reached the end of the steps and looked around to see if anyone was there. He saw no one, and opened the door to the corridor with the prisoners. He slowly walked down the row with cells at each side. Several were filled with prisoners, some even noblemen who had supported John. At the end of the corridor was a large door with two guards in front. He sighed. They wouldn't likely let him enter the corridor with the most dangerous prisoners.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you must listen to me!" a desperate voice called. Richard sighed and turned around. A man looked out at him through the bars of his cell. The eyes were big with fright and he clung desperately to the bars. "Please, I beg you."

"I have already listened enough to your drivel, sir Jasper. I have no time for you." Richard said and walked on.

"But please, if you would just listen!" sir Jasper continued. "I… was forced to work for your brother! It was not my fault. Please, if you would just let me free, I would be forever in your debt and remain your faithful servant!"

"Open the door." Richard said as he approached the two guards.

"No, we cannot, Your Majesty. It would not be safe." one of the guards said.

"I assure you, I will be perfectly all right." Richard replied tiredly. He had himself ordered extra guards to be stationed at the dungeons. It seemed it now worked against him.

"Your Majesty has ordered it yourself. We cannot let you in."

"Just this once. It won't be long."

"May I ask, what brings Your Majesty here?" the other guard asked.

"I am here on… urgent business." Richard replied. The guards looked at each other. Then one of them took a key and opened the door.

"Only a few minutes."

"Thank you." Richard said as he passed the guards. One of the guards followed him down the corridor. There were doors all down the left side, with only a small window at the top. The corridor was lit up by torches from the right side. He walked down the corridor until he got the end of the corridor. It was even safer locked than the others. An extra bar had been placed in front, and the small window had been removed, so that no-one could look inside. Richard stopped and let the guard open the door. The bars were removed and the lock was opened. Richard stepped forward and placed his hand on the door. It opened with a loud creak.

The only source of light came from the window high up on the wall, and the light directly on the door. At first Richard could not see anyone in there, but as the door was closed and he stepped forward, he saw a shadow in the corner. As he moved closer, he could see a man sitting on a narrow bed in the shadows, resting his back against the wall. He sat with his leg bended and his arm rested on the knee.

"So… You finally took time to visit me." the man said bitterly. "You have come to gloat, no doubt."  
"I have no intention in gloating, John." Richard said and walked closer. John moved so that the light fell on his face. He had dark shadows underneath his eyes, and looked tired and exhausted. It hurt Richard to see his brother in such a state.

"Then why have you come? To see how your dear baby brother is coping?" John asked angrily, still sitting on the bed.

"I have come to see you, actually." Richard replied and stepped even closer.

"I thank you most humbly, _Your Majesty._" John said and mocked a gracious bow.

"I hope you are being treated well. They feed you well, I hope?" Richard asked.

"The food is eatable. But what else can you expect when in prison?" John replied coldly.

"I have come to talk to you. Try to reason with you." Richard went on and walked to wall, just underneath the window.

"Really? Talk to me? I feel almost honoured." John said sarcastically and looked away.

"There are those on my counsel who want you dead, as you well know." Richard said and looked at his brother.

"Yes." John replied, still looking away.

"But you are my brother, so I have so far refused to sign a death warrant." Richard said.

"Oh, such brotherly love!" John said bitterly with a fake smile.

"Yes!" Richard said and kneeled down beside John. "I love you, and I have trusted you. And I still want to trust you. But after what you have done…

"What I have done?" John shouted angrily and stood up. He walked, only to turn to his brother. "And what haven't you done to me? Taken the throne that was mine! Deprived me of our mother's love!"

"I have never wanted to harm you. When I took the throne, it was because…"  
"Yes, because Father wanted it so! I have heard it so many times, and I am tired of it! You very well know Father wanted me as king. But yet you took the throne after him. Surely you and Mother planned it all?"

"No." Richard replied and looked directly at John.

"You were always Mother's favourite. She always preferred you to me." John said softly. He looked down, his eyes almost closed, as if he was reliving a horrible memory. Richard felt his brother's pain, and wished he could do something to help. But he could not.

"Mother did love you, John. She truly did." Richard said softly and walked closer. But John recoiled and walked away.

"No, she didn't. For her it was always Richard this and Richard that." John said, his voice raising in temper and tone. "And you got everything!"

"What poisoned you, brother?" Richard said and walked up beside John. He grabbed his brother's arms and looked closely at him. He had to fight not to lose his temper, but the defiant look of a child in John's eyes made him loose all control. "What poisoned you?!"

"Yes, what poisoned me?" John shouted and pulled himself away from Richard.

"What poisoned you?" Richard shouted back.

"Mother's look, as it turned from me to you. From contempt to joy!" John said angrily with a bitter tone in his voice. And yet, in his eyes there was a strange twinkle, as if he was fighting back tears.

"That is ridiculous. Did I not share with you? Did I not do duty as a brother and let you have share of what I received?" Richard asked loudly.

"Oh, you did. You did." John nodded and started to walk closer, very slowly. "And I was thankful. You were such a good brother to me, and I thought I could never need more than that. But then I realized, that it wasn't me who received any of the praises you had Mother give me, not for me that she showed any love towards me. It was for you. For my sake, she never loved me! She only loved you! As if the sun would not rise until Richard, son and heir, had woken up to shine in its warm glow!"

Richard remained silent. He did not know what to say. He could only look at his brother, and feel how much John had been hurt by their mother's coldness. Suddenly he saw the little boy he had once comforted after having been criticized by their mother. But he also knew that John was very sensitive as a child, and because he had never been as capable as Richard when it came to sport and hunting, John had always felt not loved when his mother criticized him after a defeat.

"Believe me, I never wanted to take Mother's love from you. She did love you. She still does." Richard said softly.

"Then she certainly has a strange way of showing it!" John said angrily and turned his back against Richard.

"You never were an easy child, you know." Richard then said.

"Unlike you, you mean? The perfect child!" John said sarcastically and waved his hand in a mocking gesture of grandeur as he said the last words. Richard sighed and sat down on the bed.

"We used to be such friends, you and I. We were called the Inseparables." Richard said and looked up at John, who nodded.

"Yes." he said without moving.

"I…" Richard chuckled. "I remember you always ran behind me, wanting to do whatever I wanted to do."

"I was just a child." John said as if he regretted it all.

"We spend every day playing together. We had so much fun, didn't we?" Richard asked. He couldn't help but smile at the memories of it. But it only pained John to think about it.

"Yes." John whispered.

"I remember you fell from a tree and hurt yourself, and I sat by your side until the pain had stopped." Richard remembered.

"So you did." John said, feeling uncomfortable about hearing of his childhood. But Richard continued.

"And you once avoided me being scolded by our teacher. If you had not been able to copy my handwriting and written an essay for me, I would have been in big trouble." Richard smiled. John nodded.

"You simply had to go practicing your sword fighting." he said annoyed.

"But you helped me. So you did on many occasions. I never forgot that." Richard said and looked at John, who had now moved closer towards Richard.

"You were my brother. Could I do anything else?" John said.

"You are capable of love, John. Please, let's go back to those days. Let go of your hate." Richard begged and stood up. He walked towards John who looked away. He looked hopefully at John, waiting for John to speak.

"I loved you, and still you betrayed me." John said angrily and looked at Richard.

"I was just as surprised as you when Father named me king. There was nothing I could do about it." Richard said tiredly. John sighed angrily and walked away. He had heard that before. Richard walked towards the door.

"I loved you, John. Remember that." he said and moved to open the door. But then he saw the letter that was still clutched in his hand.

"I have something for you." he said and turned his head slightly to look at his brother.

"Does it happen to be made of gold with jewels on it? Does it fit my head?" John asked sarcastically.

"No. It is a letter." Richard replied and threw the letter to John who caught it. "A little piece of the past."

Richard left the room, and the door was closed and locked safely. John felt the silence again take over. He looked from the door to the letter in his hands. He opened it and read. It consisted of five simple words, written by a child's unpracticed hand.

_Richard is my best friend._

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_Just a little idea that came to my head. I hope I got it right. I have always been strangely obsessed with the relationship within the royal family of Robin Hood, and especially the relationship between King Richard and Prince John. I was very disappointed that King Richard didn't return in season 3, because I would have loved it if there had been a scene between the two brothers. A scene between Steven Waddington and Toby Stephens would have been AMAZING!_

_And I have a few ideas about a sequel for this story, though I am not so sure about that idea. But perhaps?_

_Enough of my drivel! Please review and let me know what you think!_


End file.
